He stops just inches away, towering over me, still covered in blood and sweat. The scent of violence and raw male heat rolls off him and wraps around me like smoke.
He braces his hands on the desk on either side of me, caging me in. My nipples tighten painfully against the thin fabric of my top.
Nico leans in until his lips hover just above mine, his breath brushing my mouth. “You’re trembling, princess,” he whispers. “Is that fear… or something else?”
My mind is screaming at me to shut up, to stop provoking him, to not make this worse. But I can’t seem to help myself.
“I’m not scared of you,” I breathe, even as my voice comes out shaky and breathless.
Liar. I’m terrified. But not of him hurting me. I’m terrified of how badly I want him to.
Stop talking Eleonora. Just stop.
His gaze drops to my mouth again, darkening even further. The muscle in his jaw ticks. He’s so close now that if either of us moves even an inch, our lips will touch.
Nico’s lips curve into the ghost of a smile, dark, dangerous, almost amused. “Hmm.” He brings a hand to my face, his busted knuckles grazing my skin, leaving trails of blood behind.
“You keep saying you’re not scared of me,” he murmurs, voice low and rough, “but your eyes tell a different story.”
His bloodied fingers sliding down to wrap loosely around my throat. “I see it so clearly… fear and desire, twisting together. You’re terrified of what I am…” His thumb presses lightly against my racing pulse, “…and even more terrified of how badly you want me anyway.”
Nico’s hand slides from the desk to my waist, gripping me possessively, fingers digging in just enough to make me gasp.
“You’re so full of it, Lombardi,” I breathe.
“Liar,” he murmurs, voice rough and low. “You’re soaked right now, aren’t you?”
My breath hitches as heat floods my face, I open my mouth to respond but I can’t seem to form a word.
His grip on my waist tightens, and a soft involuntary gasp escapes my lips. Heat pours off his bare chest, brushing against me with every breath I take. His lips hover just above mine, close enough that I can feel the warmth of them.
The pull is electric, magnetic, almost painful. My nipples tighten, my core throbs with a deep, needy ache. I can feel myself getting wetter and needy for a man I should despise.
I tilt my head up slightly, almost daring him to kiss me.
Nico’s gaze drops to my mouth. His breath mingles with mine. Just one more millimeter and?—
A knock sounds on the door, and it swings open. A man with a similar build to Nico steps inside. He’s terrifying, scarred face, cold eyes. He flicks a deadly glance at me, then turns to Nico, who doesn’t make a move to remove his hands from my neck or waist.
“Boss. We have news.”
Nico pulls away from me instantly, like someone flipped a switch. The heat between us vanishes immediately. He doesn’t even look back at me as he heads for the door.
“Stay here,” he orders.
The door slams shut behind them.
I hear the lock click.
That bastard locked me in. Again!
CHAPTER TEN
Nico
I almost kissed her. I wasgoingto kiss her.
Every cell in my body had been screaming at me to close that final inch. To crush my mouth against hers, devour those full, pillowy lips until she moaned into me.
